Rescued from Disaster, Bergen Finds His Home with First Responders

This story is presented by our friends at FedEx, who help support the ASPCA’s National Field and Disaster Response efforts to assist animals in need, like Bergen.

Firefighter and paramedic couple Delaney and Amber C. decided to start looking for a third dog when their 10-year-old French Bulldog, Ren, could no longer play like he used to with their 6-year-old pit bull, Remy.

“We wanted to find someone energetic who could keep up with Remy and keep her young and playing,” said Delaney.

As they searched for their new pup, Amber was scrolling on Facebook when she stumbled upon a photo of Bergen, a puppy located at the ASPCA Cruelty Recovery Center in Columbus, Ohio.

“I just fell in love with his picture,” Amber recalled.

“We put an application in literally right when we saw him,” added Delaney.

After the Flood

In late February 2025, West Virginia experienced historic rainfall and severe flooding. As a result, local animal shelter Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association (KCHA) requested the ASPCA’s assistance to help with an emergency transport of 41 dogs. The dogs, including Bergen and his fellow littermates, were transported to the ASPCA Cruelty Recovery Center.

As KCHA took great care of the animals before the transport, Bergen showed up to the Cruelty Recovery Center as a healthy puppy with a low-grade heart murmur. When he was old enough, our veterinarians neutered him and, when rechecked, his heart murmur had fortunately resolved on its own.

Now, all that was left was to find this puppy a home! It didn’t take long though, as Amber and Delaney had just submitted an application.

Just one week later, Amber and Delaney were on their way to the Cruelty Recovery Center to meet him.

When Bergen walked into the office to meet them, he walked around the room and explored the space.

“Then at one point, I was sitting crisscross applesauce on the floor, and he just came over and sat in my lap,” remembered Delaney. “That was the moment that I fell in love with him. I looked at Amber and was like, ‘We’re getting him.’”

The couple brought him home that same day.

Starting a new life meant getting a new name, so Bergen was renamed RVCA, after Amber’s favorite brand and to keep with the “R” theme they already had with Ren and Remy.

Weathering New Beginnings

When RVCA arrived at his new home, he was very nervous.

“He was afraid of his own shadow,” said Delaney. “He was afraid of being out in the dark, of everything, but the one thing he was never afraid of were the dogs. They were his support blanket. He wanted to be around them and close to them and if he was afraid of something, he would go running to them.”

While RVCA is still afraid of quite a few things, he’s come out of his shell a lot more.

“When we first got him, he wouldn’t go around other dogs or people because he was scared, but he has changed in that he will go up and play with every single person and he wants to go up to and play with every single dog,” Delaney told us.  

RVCA’s best friend in the world is Remy, so Amber and Delaney’s goal of adopting a canine playmate has panned out tenfold.

“He loves to play with her, wrestle with her and harass her even when she doesn’t want to play,” laughed Delaney.

Though Remy is RVCA’s best canine friend, RVCA is also head over heels in love with his moms.

“He’s very affectionate and a big lap dog,” Amber told us. “He doesn’t know how big he is, he gets on the couch and he sits with us. He wants to be on top of us. He doesn’t ever want to be alone, he’s very attached.”

One of RVCA’s fears is loud sounds and sirens, which is ironic as he was adopted by a couple who spend a third of their time at the firehouse.

Still, RVCA loves to spend time at the firehouse whenever he’s allowed.

“He gets to come in and visit with the guys, give some animal therapy to them which really helps with our mental health,” said Amber.

“He’ll just explore the entire station like he’s never been here before,” joked Delaney. “He will go up to every person and jump up on them to say hi. He just loves to be around people. That’s his favorite thing about coming here, just visiting the guys and saying hello.”

When he’s not hanging out at the fire station or playing with Remy, RVCA can be found on hikes, walks, runs or just enjoying the great outdoors alongside Amber and Delaney.

“Since Delaney is so tall, and he’s big, I like when she runs with him,” Amber told us. “It’s fun to watch because he can keep up with her and her strides and he’s fast. He does really well running next to her. He’s all around a really good dog.”

And if he’s not outdoors, he’s likely stealing his moms’ socks.

“He’s a laundry stealer!” Amber laughed. “He will steal socks and bring them around the house and scatter them, so we have to go around the house and collect them every time we do laundry.”

“It will be a full basket with one sock in it, and he will rummage through the entire basket and find the one sock and drag it to the other side of the house,” added Delaney.

“He doesn’t eat it, he doesn’t do anything with it, he just is proud that he found the sock,” Amber followed up.

It’s safe to say that RVCA’s addition to his new family has brought nothing less than a healthy dose of laughter and positivity.

Ready for Anything

September is Disaster Preparedness Month and as paramedics and firefighters, Amber and Delaney are no stranger to disaster. They’ve seen firsthand how it can affect the animals in our lives, not only at their job but by adopting RVCA. To help families with pets, they offer some expert advice.

“My biggest tip is, at any entrance of your house, having a sticker or a magnet or anything that labels that you have an animal inside,” said Delaney. “That way, if there is some sort of a disaster inside, fire, flooding, anything, the people going in there will know to look for any animals and how many there are.”

“Any way you can alert us to let us know that you have an animal inside would help us be able to save your pets. We’re obviously there to put the fire out, but we’re also there to get everyone out safely,” continued Amber. “We also have a fire-proof box that we keep filled with our pets’ papers, medical records, our birth certificates, marriage license, stuff like that.”

“As a pet owner, not even as a paramedic or a firefighter, everybody worries about their animals in the case of emergency,” added Amber. “We don’t have children, so these are our children, we take care of them as our children. I don’t know what I’d do without my family.”

The importance of staying prepared in case you need to evacuate with your pet during an emergency cannot be overstated. Simply put, it can save lives. See vital information on disaster preparedness, download our pet safety pack and download our checklist to ensure you have everything you need should disaster strike. 

Want to Help Animals Like RVCA? Join The Rescue Effect! When you adopt an animal like RVCA, you’re freeing up space and resources for the shelter or rescue to give more animals a chance. When we help one, we help many — that’s The Rescue Effect. Join The Rescue Effect by adopting today.